Every other week, Kelleigh Bannen will provide behind-the-scenes analysis, stories and insight into Music City’s No. 1 export, with help from some of Nashville’s top songwriters, artists, executives and producers. Taste of Country will debut each new episode of her This Nashville Life podcast, and Bannen herself will introduce it as a guest writer. Thoughts and opinions expressed by Bannen are hers alone and do not reflect the opinions of Taste of Country, unless she’s talking about #TomatoGate, in which case, yeah … she’s spot on.

He’s represented clients like Chris Stapleton, Florida Georgia Line, and Brothers Osborne. And guess what? He doesn’t wear a suit. There isn’t anything overly slick about him. Meet entertainment attorney Chip Petree of Ritholz Levy. I met Chip on John and TJ Osborne’s tour bus in the middle of North Carolina. He was so un-lawyerly that I didn’t even think he was in the industry. I just assumed he was a friend of the band hanging out after a show. And he was. And that’s kind of the point. I think you’ll like the perceptive Chip brings as someone who was in a band, and who is really passionate about music, to his legal work representing creative people.

On the nitty gritty front: What should songwriters expect from a first-time publishing deal? What are some of the more important deal points? How about record deals, like the notorious, and now pretty much ubiquitous “360 deal”? Chip gives us some insight.
Help me help myself! I ask Chip how a client can best help him do his job. Chip jokes, “have your s--t together.” But he says the bottom line is honesty — don't try to “sell him a story" — and be honest about where you wanna go.

What does it meant to live “this Nashville life” to Chip? Well, the Bluebird Cafe is part of his answer. Come with us this week as we try to figure out what it means to live This Nashville Life.

Listen to This Nashville Life Season 2, Ep. 6

About Kelleigh Bannen: Kelleigh Bannen’s This Nashville Life Podcast offers an authentic, vibrant look at the journey of someone trying to “make it” in country music. Bannen is admittedly still learning what that means. After a short career as an independent artist, the “Famous” singer signed a major label record deal and recorded two-and-a-half albums that were never released. She’s honest, but not bitter about the obstacles female artists face in country music, but her blog and podcast go much deeper.